Pot de chrysanthèmes roses 1940

Sanyu, sometime in the 20th Century, made 'Pot de chrysanthèmes roses,' and it's all about the making. Look at the brushstrokes, each one building up the image. What gets me is how he uses the paint. It’s not just color, it’s texture, it’s surface, it’s alive. The black in the background, it looks like he attacked the canvas, right? And then those pink flowers, almost glowing. They’re built up with these short, punchy strokes. Each dab of pink is like a little decision, a tiny burst of energy. I love how the trunk of the flowers is a dark, bold contrast with the delicate petals, it shows the relationship between strength and fragility. Sanyu’s work always feels so personal, and so connected to his own journey. He spent his life in France, but was always referencing his Chinese heritage in his art. And that’s what art is, right? A conversation, a way of seeing, a way of feeling. It’s not about answers, it’s about possibilities.